Bass Guitar Compressor Pedals For Sale (2024 Update)

Having purchased this unit among other pedals to replace a Zoom B2.1u Multi FX unit, I found myself wondering whether there really was anything to gain from the change. I was very quickly convinced that it was worth every cent, as the MXR compressor gives you all the versatility you could want in a compressor. The LED bar graph shows you exactly how much compression is being applied at a given moment, and serves as a fantastic way to adjust your settings so that the signal is being compressed exactly where and when you want it to be. Your eyes will tell you what your ears may not! Unlike many of my other pedals, the MXR Bass Compressor stays in the state you leave it in. Other effects need to be toggled on or off to suit my 'default' sound every time the pedal board is plugged in, but thanks to the 3PDT toggle switch, this unit stays in the state you left it in. If it was on when you unplugged, it'll be on when you plug in again, and vice versa! The other benefit of this type of switch is that you get true bypass. Overall, the MXR Bass compressor is very compact, built tough, versatile, adjustable, doesn't color your tone, and leaves you believing it couldn't possibly be improved, as it's already PERFECT! I would absolutely buy another one if this was stolen and would not even need to consider the competition!leftybenno

it's hard to tell what is really happening here unless you really pay attention very closely to the sound of what's NOT happening, meaning, you are trying to focus the sound, tone, ambience, etc. yet at the same time, you want it to do what it's meant for – very hard to discern when there's no manual to go by. The manual for this unit is absolutely TERRIBLE – sure it's in every language in the world, but NO real directions for setup or how to make the sound improved. No theory of operation, nothing. Worst manual I ever opened. For anything ever bought in my lifetime. And no link to direct you to better, more detailed instructions on how to use. Very disappointed in that regard. Other than that, it does seem to make my overall sound less sloppy ( less speaker "wow" & flutter is the goal, when playing bass, with one of these compressors) so it seems to be eliminating what you DON'T want to hear, but it takes some time to get this pedal oriented correctly, with the controls. And you really have to pay attention to what you're NOT hearing, as you tweak it – that's the only way you'll know if you are improving on the sound.bass player # 69

This is the 3rd and final compressor I tried. I like the visual readout which is quite helpful. This pedal has a lot of different sounds it can help create. I play 4 to 5 times a week in two different bands. The one band is a hard rock/funk band and the other is a country band. Needless to say my tone is different in each situation. This pedal helps me get to where I need to and quickly. Once you figure out the pedal, it is really easy to use. Check out videos on youtube, there are several tutorials to help you get the sound you want/need.4stringassasin

Electro Harmonix has been "Rockin the House" for decades. At first I wasn't sure I wanted this unit, bought it any way. Here is my signal chain: guitar – Bass preacher – Tascam 2488 neo. boom. ..1997 Squire 5 string P Bass – Bass preacher – Neo …boom. Ive tried a number of others, eg; dyna comp; too heavy handed. Boss limiter enhancer: quite good. This puppy is easy, effective and as heavy handed as you want it to be. Heres the thing; the toggle "attack " switch settings, makes you think. It changes your strumming and picking methods. I believe its made me a better player. MADE IN THE U.S.A..!angel

First up: You're not going to get tonnes of features for the price. What you'll get is a solid little compressor, that's a good start point for getting used to using them and understanding what they can do to your sound. Secondly: Individual pedals are much, much more intuitive and immediate to use than those multi-fx pedals, which light up like Christmas trees and have a gazillion settings. I use this as my 'mostly always on' compressor; to even the dynamics out a little before my distortion-type effects. It's not really versatile enough to use as an effect in itself (though the attack options are nice). If you want all the 'bells & whistles' you'll have to shell out about twice the price. For anyone just dipping into bass fx, on a budget or just curious, I'd recommend giving it a go.bigrichie69

Easy to use with only 2 knobs. Does exactly what its supposed to do. The level of compression is subtle between low and medium. The sustain knob controls the blend. Personally I have high compression, sustain around one o'clock. It brings out the hight notes that get lost in the mix in a live situation. Great pedal.Chris

Fantastic compressor with side chain. I'm using it for a live electronic setup where I want the bass synth to duck when the kick is playing. Basic really but since I'm using different machines for each sound the Emptess Comp has been a life saver. Great build and relatively easy to use although the side chain output needs strange cables. But you can get around it.Reviewed by SX Pro customer

Great compressor with LED lights to aid sound choices. Will have to be more careful with this one as the power input is a bit fragile.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Amazing compressor, super transparent but allows for some tone sculpting if transparency isn't your thing. Sidechain works a treat (you need a stereo breakout cable for it).Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this compression pedal to boost my acoustic signal as well as fatten the sound a bit. I love the size as it fits on my board perfectly. I leave it on all the time so it neatly fits up top. I mainly lead worship at my church and was looking to make my Martin D-15 sound more like it is supposed to plugged in.Mark

The Xotic SP Compressor is without a doubt a 5 Star product! For many years I used a 1953 Gibson ES 175 or 1966 Telecaster plugged into a MXR Dyna Comp and grew to appreciate the warm squash this device had to offer as I lost the taste for most all distortion devices on the market. The Dyna Comp was a simple two knob device that squeezed my signal rather nicely to which I still have 3 of them floating about the house. I also have the more expanded version, MXR Limiter dating from the early 80s that also does a nice job modifying my signal. The only initial down side to the Dyna Comp was a little bit of noise. However the real down side to the old Dyna Comp was sometime in the early 90s, after Dunlop acquired ownership of the MXR Product, decided to reduce the cost of production by having all the jacks, pots, and switch connected directly to the PC Board via solder bath. Not only did this process of assembly affect the durability of this classic old compressor, it also compromised the tone and performance of a one great pedal. The vintage Dyna Comps wired point to point are far superior product. If you have one, keep it! In the wake of the cheapening of the Dyna Comp came the Keeley Compressor. I bought a Keeler Compressor somewhere around 10 years ago a noticed an improvement in performance over my old Dyna Comps with less noise. And with going into great detail, every guitar, from my old 1951 L5 to any of my old Fender sound great through this compressor. So now a new and somewhat revolutionary compressor has hit in the market by way of the Xotic SP. These guys are making some of the best pedals that I?ve run across in years. By the time I got my SP I was already the proud owner of an EP Booster and SL Drive. To later I have to say it is the only distortion that has come out in the last 30 years with a decent sounding tone that does not narrow the bandwidth of your signal path. Not to mention these pedals just happen to be the cutest looking signal devices on the market. What really makes the SP Compressor outstanding is the 3 position Hi/Mid/Low switch. The versatility to this pedal via of this switch is just amazing. In the Hi mode I can match the performance of my Keeley and Dyna Comp compressors for Jazz applications. However, I have taken using the Mid position for a great Blues/Rock tone. In this position the pedal allows me to play over the top of the compressor for soaring highs. This works in great combination with my 1960 Telecaster with Barden pickups. Anyway, I highly recommend the Xotic SP Compressor with its advantage in versatility over other compressors on the market. And here?s the bonus, this pedal is priced about $100 less than the Keeley. My hat?s off to you folks at Xotic for manufacturing a fantastic compressor at an affordable price that will thousands of guitar players sound better and better. Now if you can reinvent the Sola Sound Tone Bender in one of these small bud boxes, that would be fantastic!David A

I tried the Wampler and it was too much going on and I could find a sound I like. That was my first compressor so i'm Sure it was me. With this one I set it to Humbucker setting per the manual and it was fantastic. I just made the volume a little lower so that it was the same as my OD and TS pedals so that I control the gain there not with the compresssor. I leave it on all the time now. I never realized how much better the sound would be from just this. I always thought of it just pushing down the high parts but the making the lower parts a little louder made a big difference. This is going to be on permanently. Crystal clear sound wise too.Mike CT

I originally bought this effect pedal because I play keyboards on Saturday morning/afternoon at a local restaurant and the way the sound system was set up, there were a lot of peaks and valleys in the sound. The waitresses would come over and ask me to turn down (and rarely, turn up) the volume. Remembering that I used an MXR DynaComp before in one of my Top 40 groups to smooth out my synth solo lines and add "punch" to certain sounds, I located one on Ebay and bought it. At first my intention was to run it on the effects send/return lines of my Yorkville KB-50 keyboard amplifier, but when I did that, I noticed that there was noticeable distortion in the resulting sound output. Taking the signal straight from the keyboard mixer into the MXRs input solved that problem. I also now get rave reviews from nearly all my performances- not that I have gotten any better, but the sound quality has been markedly improved with my addition of this effect pedal to my setup. One quirk I did notice is that the device powers on when you plug into either the input or the output jack. The MXR DynaComp I had years before only came on when you plugged a cord into the INPUT jack. I'm not sure if they changed the wiring design or if something might be miswired somewhere. The pedal is solidly built and all the controls have a rugged, professional feel. The OUTPUT and SENSITIVITY knobs move smoothly, with no clicks or hangs and I love the rubber grabber rings on them that respond to your toe's lightest touch. One alkaline 9V battery lasts for many many gigs (months) so you're not always spending money buying batteries.so_kuhl56

Having used various compressors since the 70s, MXR is well made and the mini pedal does not disappoint. I only need subtle compression and for that this pedal does the job. While it packs a lot into such a small box, for those needing much greater control you may need to look at another model. As with all mini pedals, they are a great space saver but not to everyone's tastes.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this compressor intending to use it with both Fender Strat and my bass guitar. I am a professional music producer and listened to the unit carefully in the studio headphones. It is a great tool if you know what to use it for. When used with a strat it makes the sound crisp and places the funky clean tone perfectly in the mix. The tone is somewhat on the colder side, with bright fluid sustain added to the sound. Think about it as a sustainer first and then compressor. Great tool in the pallette. However, there are a few things to keep in mind: – the unit makes a sub low cut when engaged even with the minimum effect added to the direct signal. Bassists bear this in mind (unless you are a hardcore punk bassist playing with distortion and a pick and don't care much about your sub bass tone). It can also be felt on the clean electric guitar sound (if it's funky tone in the band setting you would cut off the low end of the strat anyway). – with higher compression ratio settings you get more sustain but some noise is also added. – if you want to use the 9V battery with the unit keep in mind that to change the battery you need to use a screwdriver for 4 screws to remove the back panel of the unit.J

I love this pedal. I play an Epi Les Paul Classic, into my pedalboard, and into a 90's Peavey Bandit. The amp has a Jensen Mod soesker, not the original Scorpion speaker. The Bandit with this speaker has a great clean channel. I'm a long time Fender guy. Strats and Teles. I like a clear, bright fundamental tone. I found myself compensating with the LP and using the bridge pickup a lot. But still not satisfied with the clean tones from the LP. That changed when I put the Keeley Compressor Plus on my board. The conbination of the Blend control and the Tone knob gives me what I want. The Tone control is, to my ear, an exceptional circuit. I get the bright, clear tone I need and superb sustain. This pedal is a godsend for playing slide. The compressor goes before my dirt pedals with beautiful results-1-. I use a Boss SD-1 overdrive and a Donner Dark Mouse – a Rat clone. I'm very impressed with this compressor. I put all controls at about 12:00, which the manual recommends for humbuckers. Minimal tweaks from there to get what I want. I love that it doesn't squash the life out of my pick attack. It is always on. Works great with acoustic/electrics as well. Great, musical piece of gear. Well done, Mr. Keeley.Mister G.

While some claim this compressor is an optical compressor, that couldn't be further from the truth. This compressor is an OTA (operational transconductance amplifuer) design, much like a Ross or Dynacomp. That being said it is an improvement in that design. A big one. If you're into great tone does it really matter whether it is OTA, optical, flux capacitor, or glow plug? No. The bottom line is that this compressor is awesome! It can do the Ross/Dynacomp thing where it DOES squash and color your tone, or it can be as transparent as you want it to be. The key is to put that blend knob to use along with the other controls.Guitar74

I have the Mini Ego on another pedalboard and I love the sustain knob on the big brother. The pedal has phenomenal versatility. The tone control is very interactive and when switching from single coil to humbucker pickups all is needed is a tone adjustment to dial things in. Built like a tank and the footswitch is as quiet as a church mouse.stillbillsmith

I was slightly influenced by a review video made by one of my favourite guitarists Brent Mason. He spoke very highly about the pedal so that, along with other reviews and comparisons, made me decide to go for the Ego. It is a brilliant pedal and does everything I want from a compression pedal.mike k.

OK, why wasn't this mentioned in the description . Because eveyone has a 9V 100ma power supply with the correct adapter size laying around . . . right? WRONG! . There is no option for using a 9V battery . So, you need to know this up front . because when it arrives, if you don't have the correct power supply, it's dead in the water until you can buy one .Jambalaya

As a bassist, I've been using compressors in my signal chain for live performances (and recording) for decades . . . I have always used rack units VS pedals . Being able to set the Ratio, Threshold, Attack, Release is an advantage on a full scale unit. I find this pedal, click ON, click OFF to be extremely limited in effectiveness . And, I'm not comprehending the "individual string" compression algorithms that TC touts, also, the sound is not all that clean . But for a quickie, (i.e.I want some compression on my guitar or bass) ok, cool, plug it in! . . . but be prepared to " grin and bear" it you feel you need to adjust it. because, you do not have that capability with this box . It's extremely limited.Guntherprobe

Great little compressor pedal for bass – very simple to use but just makes everything sound smoother and better. A small package but a huge punch! Great work from the guys at TC Electronic and top service from GuitarGuitar! Thank you!Reviewed by guitarguitar custome

Studio grade compressor in a pedal. Can be as subtle or extreme as necessary. The auto switch and Hard/soft switches are very clever and really work. Very well built. Small footprint fits easily on a pedal board.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Nice boost, however it is a bit dirty. If you're interested in buying one of these I recommend reading up about it as much as you can. can't beat it for the money it's well-built. It has good controls. I bought this in Hope of using it for an acoustic guitar boost that didn't work out so well but it's fantastic for electric guitar before and after certain pedals. For conversation purpose I also have a EP booster buy exotic effects. However there are very different just to draw a distinction.cashflowkid61

Great quick shipping in original box. Absolutely like-new (cool sparkly powder-coat type finish) – sounds terrific! too bad this box (itself a re-issue) is discontinued… great to smack your pedal chain or amp with a nice clean (but edgy) boost!helix-28588

I have been on the fence about boosting effects for a while, never Really Thought I NEEDED one but at this price I decided to give it a shot. Searching and transaction were both easy, the sale was awesome-PERFECT price and shipped in practically 2 days! I love the pedal, really breaths life into my secondary set up. I'm honestly contemplating if I want to grab the dod Comp or overdrive!BUCKROGEZ87

Buy this pedal from Prymaxe – they have sales that are ongoing. Regarding the pedal, I tried the clone – the Mooer Yellow Comp because it was half the price, and while it worked, it didn't have the clarity and transparency that the Diamond Jr has. For me, I want a compressor pedal that doesn't change the character of my guitar (I play an acoustic Taylor 816 with a Baggs M1 Active pickup with a rather large pedal array), and, of the compressors I've tried, the Diamond Jr is absolutely the best – clear, silent, the LED tells me when the compressor is pushing back against the dynamics. I leave this pedal on all of the time and the sound/clarity is fabulous – worth every penny.flexismart

Sans pre amp has a great analog sound and is easy to find your sound in a variety of sounds. The chorus and compression sound great and the quality of the unit is solid. Wish list: Ability to save presets and an effects send would be niceedwardomusica

After reading the reviews I thought I was getting a decent multi pedal. It was extremely noisy, so noisy I was told I couldn't record with it. The tuner is not trustworthy gets you close. And it loudly pops everytime I try to use the mute/tuner feature. No adjustable features with chorus or compression. I thought I would just use the sansamp but even the sansamp didn't enhance my amp sound. It sounds cleaner and more quiet running direct out of my amp. I dislike it so much I don't think I would even resell it. I wouldn't want someone to spend money on it. Very disappointed after all the positive reviews.chris M

I have bought my Fly Rig at Sam Ash on 34th. Still a great shopping experience with Joe; easy & pro service (as usual) and good price! Bonus, in the heart of Manhattan.MARC